1. Field of the Invention
The disclosed invention relates to a deck cleaning tool having a specially designed cleaning head that is pivotally connected to a handle. The invention allows for easy clearing of dirt and debris from the gap located between decking floor boards in outdoor exposed decking.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Decking floor boards in outdoor decking or flooring are exposed to extreme weather conditions, as well as debris from trees, plants, and animals. Such decking or flooring may include the floor surface of outdoor decks, porches, gazebos, patios, walkways, or other such areas as are known in the art. The decking or flooring is constructed as spaced planking or boards, with gaps between the planks or boards. Such flooring may be manufactured from either wood or synthetic material, such as plastic, vinyl, or fiberglass.
It is important that the deck board gaps allow for proper water drainage. In addition, these gaps allow for expansion and contraction of the material due to variations in climatic conditions. If the gaps are allowed to clog with debris, improper water drainage may result. Water saturated decking may increase or accelerate deck board decay, cause insect infestation, and cause mold and fungus growth. Furthermore, if the deck is attached to an indoor structure, improper water drainage may result in water runoff into or around the indoor structure, and cause damage. A deck with clogged floor board gaps may also have an aesthetically unappealing appearance.
Various gap cleaning tool designs in the prior art attempt to solve the above noted problems. Some designs simply provide for a blade connected to a handle, which may be pushed along a gap of the decking floor boards. Although this design may loosen some debris in the gaps, the effective angle at which an operator may push the tool is limited. In addition, the orientation of the blade shape relative to the gap being cleaned varies depending on the angle at which the handle is being held, given the blade has a fixed connection to the handle. The blade orientation is therefore dependent on the size of the user, as well as the angle at which the user holds the handle during operation. If the user holds the handle too high or too low, inefficient or unsafe operation may result. The resultant angle of the blade, determined by the user, may not clean the entire depth of the gap, or become impeded by the underlying cross support joists. Furthermore, sharp blades may cut into the flooring boards or support joists, thereby causing damage to the flooring. Such damage to the floor boards or support joists may increase or accelerate the material decay, cause insect infestation, etc., thereby affecting the integrity of the structure. Therefore, such designs do not provide for easy or safe operation.
Other designs provide for a device having a handle with a hook extending from one end. This design generally requires the operator to pull the hooked end along the gaps between the deck floor boards. Again, such a design does not allow for the operator to easily maneuver the tool at variable angles while maintaining optimum clearing power. Such a design generally provides clearing power only when pulled by the user.
Another design in the prior art provides for a blade attached to a handle with a pair of wheels mounted on the blade or handle for contacting the deck surface. Although this design provides some improvement over other designs, the blade is still fixed to the handle at a set angle. Therefore, ease of operation is again limited as noted above.
The disclosed invention solves the above noted problems, providing a deck gap cleaning tool that is effective and easy to use for any operator. The disclosed invention provides optimum gap clearing power regardless of the angle at which the user holds the handle. Furthermore, the gap clearing tool is equally effective when either pushed or pulled by the user. The disclosed tool may also effectively clean flooring gaps in hard to reach areas, such as under railings, furniture, seating areas, and the like.
A deck gap cleaning tool comprises a pole pivotally connected to a cleaning head. The cleaning head comprises an upper portion pivotally connected to the pole and a blade extending opposite to the pole. The blade is configured to be received between deck flooring gaps for clearing debris therefrom.
The deck gap cleaning head may also comprise sides extending perpendicular to the blade, and intermediate the upper portion and the blade. In one embodiment of the claimed invention, a deck gap cleaning tool comprises a cleaning head support having an elongate body with a top and a bottom surface. The top surface is pivotally connected to a pole at an intermediate point on the elongate body. A plurality of the cleaning heads is pivotally connected to the bottom surface of the cleaning head support. The cleaning heads are positioned on the bottom surface of the support so that multiple gaps may be cleared simultaneously.